A good breakfast makes an excellent start of the day. It provides us with a sufficient portion of nutrients, energy and positive emotions. Some of us prefer a bowl of cereal with low-fat milk for breakfast, some prefer a sandwich with a cup of tea or coffee, some opt for traditional omelet or 2 eggs, some enjoy having a little bit of yogurt with fruits, and some can choose protein cocktail or a smoothie. Unfortunately, sometimes a good breakfast can not find its way to our tables in the morning, so we leave home and start our day without having a meal. The dangers of skipping breakfast include slowed down metabolism and calorie burning, increased blood pressure, tiresome and inability to focus, higher risks of psychological disorders and cardiovascular diseases, and many other negative factors. Remember that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and check out some interesting facts about breakfast.

The idea that skipping breakfast can help us reduce our daily calorie consumption is incorrect. Studies have shown that skipping breakfast leads to increased hunger and increased calorie consumption later the day.

Besides, skipping breakfast causes slowed down metabolism and other processes in the body, leading to less calorie burning, less fat loss and increased risks of weight gain.

According to the survey conducted by a group of Irish experts from Love Food Hate Waste, 49 per cent of modern adults admit that they have to struggle to get through the day in case if they skipped breakfast in the morning. This is one of the key breakfast facts which we should always keep in mind.

It is estimated that it usually takes about 8.3 minutes for us to have breakfast in a weekday.

More facts about breakfast for kids. Every one of five moms says that in the morning she usually does not have tome to prepare a good and healthy breakfast for her kid(s).

About 40 per cent of moms accept that their kids eat the same breakfast every weekday morning. In a long term perspective this can have negative effects on the child’s health since it is important to receive a variety of nutrients and micro-elements every morning.

Most of the moms report that their mornings are usually very stressful, and the experts recommend having healthy and nutritious (preferably family) breakfasts as one of the most effective stress-reducing techniques.

The following breakfast facts can help you prevent skipping breakfasts. Planning your breakfast is the best and the most effective tool to prevent rushing in the morning and skipping this important meal. If you are not used to planning your breakfast, try doing it for a week or two, and you’ll certainly see the difference.

Do maximum possible preparations for breakfast before going to bed. Clean the table and make it ready for breakfast. Make pancakes, cereal bars or light brownies before going to bed. Check out if you have all the ingredients for morning omelet or smoothies in your fridge before you go to bed. It is also possible to opt for some ‘ready to eat’ breakfast options, but do not eat things like breakfast energy bars or cereal with milk on a daily basis since breakfast should vary from day to day.

Get your clothes and your kids’ clothes ready the night before, so you will not need to spend time in the morning to look for and decide what to wear, etc. etc.

If you or your kids are using packed lunches at work or in school, prepare those the night before in order to free your time in the morning for cooking a positive healthy breakfast for you and your family.

The best and the healthiest breakfast should include about 20 g proteins, plenty of dietary fiber and less than 5 g fats. Also, it should have the main vitamins and minerals, including vitamins B complex, vitamin C and vitamin A, potassium, calcium, manganese, zinc, iron, and phosphorus.

Do not forget to measure your breakfast portions and avoid overeating. Consuming too much of foods for breakfast (especially too sweet or too fatty foods) can cause heaviness in the stomach, shortness of breath, metabolic malfunctioning, psychological and emotional distress, and other negative factors.

It is necessary to remember about the importance of water for all chemical processes in the body. Our body needs sufficient amounts of water (between 1.8 and 2.8 liters a day) for maintaining the function of all systems and organs, and it is recommended to support our breakfast with proper amounts of plain water.

According to the findings of the scientists from Love Food Hate Waste, breakfast is a great way to avoid wasting foods and save the money. It is estimated that by having breakfast on a daily basis we can avoid about $2 billion worth waste, mainly of yogurt and bread, which is over 1 million tones of foods.